Burial-robe.



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Witness f UNITED STATES I 'PATENT t QEEICE.

HENRY K. BUEKET, on OMAHA, NEBEAsKA-` BURIAL-ROBE.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent N0. 702,773, dated J' une 17, 1902. Application filed March`24, 1902. Serial No. 92,;757. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY K. BURKET, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Robes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the My invention relates to burial-robes; and the object of the invention is the production of a robe which can be very conveniently and quickly placed on the body and which when in position will have the appearance of being a completely-finished garment of ordinary construction. Burial-robes manufactured solely for such purpose are coming; extensively into use, and the custom isvbeing extensively adopted of using such robes in lieu of the practice heretofore adopted of dressing the remains in the clothing which they wore in life. As is well known, considerable difficulty is experienced inproperly placing the garments upon the corpse afterfit has been prepared for burial, and it is to facilitate this operation that my invention is designed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a garment constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the same, showing that side of the garment which carries the collar and the securing-strings, the view being taken from the inside of the garment when the latter is in open condition. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the garment, showing the manner of securing the same in front and concealing the fastening means; and Fig. 4 shows the invention applied to a garment designed to be worn by men and boys, the same being shown in the form of a union garmentf-that is, a coat and vest combined.

- The garment comprises a suitable body portion which is open down the back,` as at 1,- from the upper edge thereof,"for abutfiveor six inches;v rlhe portion of the garment to the left of the opening, which I will mark 2, and which is shown in detail in Fig. 2 looking at the garment when laid out flat in an open condition,carries a collar 3 and securingerably the latter.

with. the waist'and can be made apart ofthestrings 4. One end' of the collar extends a short distance beyond the edge of the body portion, so that when the two ends of the collar are brought ,into position the projecting portion 5 will slightly overlapthe other end of the collar-6, or at least allow for the desired adjustment at thispoint to makea neat fit about the neck, the collary being held in position by means of the securing-strings 4. This portion 2 of the garment which carries the collar is provided with a plurality of fastening means, preferably hooks or eyes, as 7, arranged vin a vertical row on the inside of the garment, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and the other portion of the garment to the right of-the opening in the back,which for convenience I will mark 8, isiprovided'on its vertical edge with a plurality of fastening means, preferably hooks or eyes, as 9, which are designed to engage the fastening means 7 by bringing the portionI 2 of the garment over and upon the portion of the garment marked 8. The vertical edge of the portion 2 of the garment is also provided with a plurality of fastening means, such as hooks or eyes, as l0, which when said portion 2 is broughtover upon the portion 8 of the garment engage fastening means, as hooks or eyes 11, provided on the said portion 8. To conceal this latter fastening means from ,iview, thevportion of the body portion is.

providedwith a vertical'fold12,which extends i practically-the entire length vofthe bodyportion and which extends over the fastening means ll'and beneath which the verticaledge of the portion 2 of the garment, carrying the fastening means 10, is extended, so thatsaid fastening means will-be` entirely concealed fromview; To'give an ornamental appearance tothe front of the garment, the portion 2, carrying-the collar 3, is provided with any suitable ornamentation, as chiffon, for instance. The" garment will be provided with sleeves of any suitable description. The robe.

can be madeany style frontl and canfast'en with either buttons-or hooks' and eyes, pref- The sk irts areusually sold waist or separate from the same.

IBy the use of my invention the necessity of slitting the garment back and front, which is found to be very objectionable to undertakers and funeral directors, is obviated.

In Fig. L I have shown a modified construction of my invention, in which it is applied to a combined coat and vest, forming a union garment, the coat being open at the front and provided with fastening means, as 13, and with an opening 14 in the back, and securing-strings 15 for bringing the ends together and securing them in position.

In dressing remains in waist or coat the operation would be about as follows: Open the front of the robe and place the garment over the remains with the bottom of the back part of the robe at the chin and the collar toward the feet. In this position place the arms in the sleeves, drawing the sleeves up around the wrist. Then have an assistant raise the hands up to thetop of the head. Then gather the back of the garment in your right hand and with your left hand raise the head. Then slip the right hand over the head with the back of the garment inclosed in your hand. Then pull the sleeve down to the shoulders and the back of the garment down, and the garment is in position. The opening at the neck renders it easy to slip the garment over the head and also enables one to adjust the collar to fit any size neck.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. Aburial-robe, open at front and provided with an opening at the bacl; from its upper edge downward for a suitable distance, the portion of the garment to one side of the rear opening carrying a complete collar, and means for securing the collar in position, substantially as described.

2. A burial-robe, open at front and provided with an opening at the back from its upper edge downward for a suitable distance, the portion of the garment to one side of the rear opening provided with an integral complete collar, means for securing the collar in position, and fastening means for securing the garment in position in front, substantially as described.

3. Aburial-robe, open at front and provided with an opening at the back extending from the upper edge thereof downwardly fora short distance, the portion of the garment to one side of the rear opening provided with an integral complete collar, one end of the collar projecting beyond the edge of the garment, so that it can be adjusted to fit any size neck,

and fastening-strings for drawing and holding the ends of the collar to position, and fas tening means for securing the garment in front, substantially as described.

4f. A burial-robe, open at front and provided with an opening at the back extending from the upper edge thereof downwardly fora short distance, the portion of the garment to one side of the rear opening provided on its inner side with a plurality of vertically-arranged fastening means which engage fastening means on the vertical edge of the other portion of the robe on the other side of the rear opening, and another set of vertically-arranged fastening means on the edge of the first-mentioned portion of the garment, which engage fastening means arranged on the second-mentioned portion of the garment, Said latter fastening means being located back of the edge fastening means, and a fold carried by the second-mentioned portion which laps over and conceals the last-mentioned fastening means, and means for securing the garment at the neck, substantially as described.

5. A burial-robe, open at front and provided with an opening at the back extending from the upper edge thereof downwardly fora short distance, a portion of the garment to one side of the rear opening provided with an integral complete collar, fastening-strings for drawing and holding the ends of the collar to position, said portion of the garment provided on its inner side with a plurality of vertically-arranged fastening means, which engage fastening means on the vertical edge of the other portion of the garment on the other side of the rear opening, and another set of vertically-arranged fastening means on the edge of the first-mentioned portion of the garment, which engage fastening means arranged on the second-mentioned portion of the garment, said latter fastening means, and a fold carried by the second-mentioned portion which laps over and conceals the last-mentioned fastening means, and means for securing the garment at the neck, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IIEN RY K. BURKET.

Vitnesses:

G. W. CLARK, W. MORRIS MCKAY. 

